Orlando Pirates suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Congolese side FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo in the CAF Champions League first leg on Sunday afternoon.
The Buccaneers came into the clash having won eight straight matches across all competitions and were favourites to win the first leg of the second preliminary round. Abdeslam Ouaddou’s men conceded an early goal but managed to fight to get an equaliser.
In the second half, St Lupopo scored two goals to all but kill the tie at the Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba.
What can Orlando Pirates do to get into the group stages?
The Sea Robbers will need to win 4-0 in the second leg to advance to the group stages. That looks unlikely given the calibre of the team. Against Lioli in the first preliminary round, Pirates scored four goals at home to claim a 7-0 aggregate win.
Against the Congolese giants, they will need to play their best game of the season to revive their CAF Champions League title hopes.
At this moment, Orlando Pirates look out of it after getting exposed away from home. In the semi-final of the CL last season, the Buccaneers also suffered a 3-2 defeat to Pyramids in a match they should have won.
Another away defeat highlights Pirates’ poor record. They haven’t really figured out a way to win against good side away from home.
What’s next for the Buccaneers
Orlando Pirates should now focus on the Betway Premeirship now that their CAF CL journey is all but over. A league treble is still on the cards for Ouaddou but he needs his side to win atleast 20 league matches this season.